Comments on: 7 tips for finding a job in Europe

By: 7 tips for finding a job in Europe « Skybridge Community

7 tips for finding a job in Europe « Skybridge Community — Sat, 23 Oct 2010 18:14:23 +0000

[...] Continue reading this article over at Zurika.com – and also check out her article on 7 internet resources to help you find a job in Germany. [...]

By: Valerie

Valerie — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 16:25:52 +0000

Thank you to everyone for the great support and comments on this site. I am a marketing executive (sports and entertainment) seeking employment in Paris and your suggestions and tips have been very helpful. Thank you so much! If you come across any additional sites you think may be helpful, I would greatly appreciate it!

By: Jul

Jul — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 23:49:04 +0000

Diane & Zan – happy to be of help. Although I'm probably pretty useless on the motivation-to-work front.

PapaScott – If only one of us were in the position to start a company and hire the other… that would be cool! Good luck with your start-up.

By: PapaScott

PapaScott — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 15:31:46 +0000

I guess there’s a bit of a difference whether you want to come to Europe to further your career, or whether you come to Europe for personal reasons (say, getting married) and want to work.

A niche for US expats is academic publishers, who look for native English speakers with academic backgrounds, and may even offer tele-commuting. I worked several years for a small publisher near Hamburg and enjoyed my time there.

Another option is for your spouse to start a company and hire you. That’s what I’m doing now.

By: zandria

zandria — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 17:48:31 +0000

You’re awesome, Jul! Thanks for taking the time to write this post. It’ll definitely be a help when it comes to my overseas-living research, if I decide to go that route.

By: Jul

Jul — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 10:51:56 +0000

Dave – thanks for sharing your experience! I agree that looking at local-hire positions is a great way to increase your options when trying to get hired abroad. Although the perks of an expat assignment can be pretty sweet, they certainly aren’t necessary for a successful move abroad.

Interesting idea about setting up your own company, too. The rules for that seem to vary wildly even within the EU.

By: Dave Hampton

Dave Hampton — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 07:54:27 +0000

I’m on a 3-year expat assignment with a multinational corp. Unfortunately, these positions are becoming less common as companies cut costs. Your best strategy is to gain some global exposure and experience through participation in overseas conferences, collaborative projects, or multinational partnerships. Then, define a spot for rotation with the local offices that takes advantage of your special skills and experience. Generally you won’t get expat support for housing, cars, moving, taxes, and cost-of-living if you are there for less than a year, and most contracts don’t extend for more than three.
It may be a better option to secure a local contract in the country you are interested in: most companies have separate job listings for OUS (outside US) positions. These generally require you to make your own living arrangements and to conform to local salary and labor laws, but should provide relocation and visa assistance.
Finally, you might be able to set up your own business: the laws for incorporating as a non-EU resident vary widely (easy in the UK; tough in the NL, for example). See if you qualify as a “knowledge worker”, which gives you fast-track visa processing and reduced taxes. You get points for degrees, awards, job experience, salary, and professional licenses that qualify you if you cross a threshold.

By: Diane Mandy

Diane Mandy — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 23:13:58 +0000

Very helpful information. Now I just need the motivation to work again!

By: Jul

Jul — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 22:38:41 +0000

LOL. Christina, I had the same FAQ idea. I started this post ages ago, as a response to how often I got questions about jobs in Europe.

And yes, Xing is definitely in the Germany-specific post.

By: Christina G

Christina G — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 22:19:40 +0000

I'm going to have to make a FAQ and link to this post because people are always emailing me asking about how to get a job in Germany. As a highly educated person in a very sparsely populated field, I don't have problems finding jobs and therefore don't know what to tell them.

I found my job when I first came over through my boss in the US. She got ahold of an email looking for someone to move to Berlin.

I would add that if they're coming to Germany, sign up for XING (maybe that was going in your follow up post). That's where I get contacted by German recruiters most often. Swiss and UK recruiters contact me through LinkedIn.